Beg Me to Remarry
Chapter 223: Joint Declaration

Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Joint Declaration

Everyone in the Public Relations Department was waiting in the Meeting Room, and he paused for 0.01 seconds at the door, casually fastened the buttons of his suit, and walked in with his head held high.

All eyes in the Meeting Room were fixed on him, and the mood was complex. After all, it was He Xing’s personal scandal making the headlines—all were curious about the subject’s reaction yet also felt a sense of impending chaos; it was truly one trouble after another.

He Xing looked around, his face expressionless, and said, "The photos online were an accident, but Xia Ning was about to fall, so I just gave her a hand."

There was a moment of reaction before everyone realized He Xing was explaining.

But as for that explanation, it was up to the individual listener. Some thought He Xing was straightforward and honorable, while others felt his explanation was worse than saying nothing at all, muddying the waters even further.

The Meeting Room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The head of the Public Relations Department felt the need to chime in, and chuckled awkwardly, "Director He, does this mean the incident is unfounded? Shall we issue a joint statement with Lady Xia Ning?"

That sentence dropped like food into hot oil, creating an instant, massive reaction— the Meeting Room erupted with fervent discussion.

Some said Xia Ning would never agree to issue such a statement, as everyone in A City knew she had feelings for He Xing.

Others suggested a joint statement between He Xing and Fu Han, arguing that if Fu Han spoke out, the noise online would dissipate on its own.

And yet others opined the best action was to ignore it; with time, the onlooking public would lose interest and eventually forget.

He Xing listened to their myriad suggestions with an impassive face, his brain racing. The opposition would certainly have thought of these strategies too. Objectively, the pictures were not definitive proof of any "ambiguous" relationship between him and Xia Ning, but why then had the opposition chosen this move?

What was most critical for him was to discern whether the source of these photos was the paparazzi or the enemy camp?

The identity of the leaker would directly affect how he handled the situation.

The meeting had gone on for two hours, with no useful solutions reached, yet the online public opinion was fermenting ever more fiercely, and a response had become unavoidable.

Everyone looked to He Xing, awaiting his decision on how to deal with the issue.

Honestly, He Xing felt that if a clarification was needed, it was best linked with Fu Han. This time, he was determined not to let Fu Han leave his side again.

He left them to continue the discussion while he stepped out to call Fu Han, feeling that the best course was indeed a joint statement from both of them, affirming that there was no issue in their relationship, which would automatically dismiss the photos circulating online.

The phone rang for quite a while before being answered. Fu Han’s voice came through, devoid of any warmth: "Hello, do you need something?"

He Xing’s heart clenched as if squeezed in someone’s grip, making breathing difficult. He took two steps back to lean against the wall, inquiring in the most relaxed tone he could muster, "Xiaohan, do you have a moment? I’d like to talk with you."

About five seconds later, Fu Han finally responded, "I have time. What do you want to talk about?"

He Xing was already holding a cigarette to his mouth, but upon hearing her words, he put it back, heading to the empty stairwell at the end of the hallway: "Xiaohan, we have a bit of a tricky situation. I want to make a statement about the incident and then you could issue one as well, saying something like you believe in me. Would that be okay?"

Silence ensued, suffocating. During the time Fu Han remained silent, He Xing truly understood the meaning of the phrase ’each day feels like a year.’

Finally, Fu Han spoke slowly, saying just two words, "Sure."

He Xing didn’t feel the slightest bit of relief; instead, his heart grew even heavier.

This was his second call to Fu Han that day. In the first call, she had still asked him whether the photos were real, but now, she seemed unwilling to even speak.

He Xing would’ve preferred Fu Han to be angry, or even to refuse outright. What he couldn’t bear was her obvious reluctance to talk to him; it was more painful than if she had killed him.

As he was about to say something else, Fu Han spoke again, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up. You better go deal with your matters."

He Xing felt as if he had punched cotton—a sense of futility, of despair.

He said goodbye and hung up.

When he returned to the Meeting Room, the Public Relations Department’s clarification draft was ready. He Xing skimmed through it and, finding nothing to change, gave the go-ahead to release it.

About five minutes later, Fu Han retweeted the post, adding, "I only lent a helping hand to a lady who almost fell. Didn’t expect it to turn out like this. Next time such a thing happens, be careful with your paws."

He Xing chuckled at the first read, but frowned on the second. This wasn’t something Fu Han would say; moreover, with her current memory loss, she was even less likely to make such a statement.

He returned to his Office, intending to pack his computer and head to the hospital to see her. Couples should be able to discuss their issues face to face, not be distanced by insincere words as they were now.

But before he could put his computer into the bag, Liang Tao came in: "Director He, please review the tour itinerary for this afternoon. If there’s no issue, we need to leave now."

He Xing suddenly remembered that "Yearning for Return" would be officially released in theaters the day after tomorrow, and the next two days were scheduled for promotional tours—the last chance for "Yearning for Return" to get promoted.

He continued with his task but knew he couldn’t rush to Fu Han’s side immediately. If all went well today, he might have time to see her in the evening.

...

The tour event for "Yearning for Return."

While Bai Wei and Luo Qinghe still had casts on their arms, they were highly cooperative with the tour games. As a genuine couple, they freely indulged in public displays of affection, with no need for discretion.

As for Xia Ning, the second female lead, she was in a state of ’lone beauty’ throughout the event; she only showed a reaction when He Xing appeared.

Due to the photo incident, He Xing had worn a mask the entire day and had even maintained a distance from Xia Ning, ensuring there was always at least one person between them whenever they spoke.

And Liang Tao, used by He Xing as a human shield, received plenty of cold glares from Xia Ning. But he had no choice; he worked for He Xing and had to follow his orders.

The tour’s first event was drawing to a close, and the host was delivering the closing speech when a commotion arose at the door. Curious eyes turned in that direction, including those on the stage.

Unbelievably, the one causing a scene and desperately pushing her way in was Qin Xiaonian.

Confronted with the glances of Luo Qinghe and Bai Wei, Xia Ning responded indifferently, "Don’t look at me—I fired her after the incident."